Convertible chair



Patented Jan. 24, |899.

J. W. DIGGS &. A. RDETTGER. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1897.) (H0 Model.) 2 Sheeis-Sheet I.

No. 618,067. Patented 1an. 24, |899. .1. w. mass .& A. RDETTGER.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES VESTLEY DIGGS AND AUGUST ROETTGFIR, OF ST. lLOUIS, MISSOURI.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters raten-i: No. 618,06*?, datedJanuary 24, 1899.

Application iiled December 30, 1897, Serial No. 664,500. (No modali) T0LH iff/tom, it may concern.-

Be it known that weJAMEs WEsrLnY DIGGs and AUGUST ROETTGER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Convertible Chair, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to convertible chairs, and has for its object toprovide a construction adapted for use as a high or nursery chair and asa hobby-horse, the parts being compactly arranged and embodying theminimum number of movable parts, neither of which is detachable.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the convertible chairembodying our invention arranged as a high chair. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the device arranged as a hobby-horse and indicating indotted lines the arrangement of parts when the device is used as anursery-chair. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of thedrawings.

rlhe framework of the device embodying our invention comprises,essentially, the side frames l, shaped at one edge to form rockersadapted to be arranged upon a horizontal supporting-surface when thedevice is used as a hobby-horse, (see Fig. 2,) and seat-boards 2 and 3,connecting said side frames transversely and adapted to perform thefunctions of seats, respectively, when the frame is in its uprightposition (shown in Fig. l) and in its horizontal or reclining position.(Shown in Fig. 2. The side frames are also connected contiguous to theirrunner edges by afoot-rest 4:, extending from one edge of the seat 3 tothe contiguous extremities of the frames, and contiguous to theiropposite or straight edges by a back 5, extending from the rear edge ofthe seat 2 to the opposite ends of the frames, said seats being arrangedcontiguous to the centers of the side frames, and the seat 2 beingadapted to serve as a back for the seat 3 when the their frontextremities and also to prevent the occupant of the chair, when thelatter is in its horizontal or reclining position, from leaving thechair beneath a transverse hand-hold or gripebar 8, which connectsornamental brackets 9, carried by the side frames and preferablyconstructed to represent horse-heads.

The nursery-chair seat 3, which is of the ordinary construction, ispreferably hinged to the framework, and arranged to coperate therewithis a hinged cushion 10, adapted to be folded back into contact with thenurseryseat back or high-chair seat 2 when not in use. The nursery chairfoot rest 4E closes the space between the side frames, as abovedescribed, between the highechair foot-rest 6 and the front or lowerends of the side frames, and hence forms the lower portion of the frontof the chair when the latter is arranged in its upright position, andthe high-chair seat 2 preferably terminates at a distance from therocker edges of the side frames corresponding with the high-chairfoot-rest 6 to form between said high-chair seat and footrest and thebounding side frames a receptacle, which is open when the chair is inits upright position to enable the feet of the occu.-

pant of the high-chair seat to reach the footrest 6, but which is closedWhen the device is in its horizontal or reclining position (indi.

In order to support the framework in its upright or high-chairposition,we preferably employ folding legs or supports 1l, pivotallymounted upon the side frames and connected therewith by folding braces12 of toggle construction, the members of each brace vbeing held inalinernent or operative relation when extended by means of stops 13 onone of the members engaging the edge of the other member.

In connection with the above-described construction we also employ atable or rest let, having side arms 15 of folding construction, the samebeing provided at intermediate points with stop-hinges 16 and beingterminallypivoted to the side frames, said arms operating in guides 17,having terminal stops to limit the swinging movement of the table orrest arms. Vhen not in use, the table or rest is adapted to be foldedparallel with and contiguous to the high-chair back 5, and when in useit is held extended in an approximately horizontal position in front ofand above the high-chair seat to prevent the occupant of said seat fromfalling forwardly and also to form a rest for supporting dishes or toys.The legs or supports l1 are adapted to fold parallel with and contiguousto the straight rear or upper edges of the side frames when the deviceis in use as a hobby-horse or nurserychair. In this connection we alsoemploy means for preventing the rocking of the device when in use as anursery-chair, said means in the construction illustrated consisting ofstop-blocks 18, pivotally mounted upon the side frames contiguous totheir rocker edges and respectively in front and in rear of the centersthereof. Vhen these stop-blocks are arranged in their operativepositions, (indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3,) the device isheld from rocking in either direction; but when not in use they may beturned to arrange them within the contour of the side frames, asindicated in full lines in the drawings.

From the above description it will be seen that the main parts of theframework perform functions in both positions of the device. Forinstance, the high-chair seat performs the function of a back for thenurserychair seat, while the guard which connects the front edge of thenursery-chair seat to the plane of the nursery-chair foot-rest andcloses the front side of the said receptacle performs the function of afoot-rest when the device is in its upright or high-chair position. Theonly adjustable parts are the legs or supports for maintaining thedevice in its upright position and the folding table or rest, which mayor may not be used, as preferred, when the chair is in its uprightposition. Neither of the described adjustable parts is detachable, andyet when not in use said parts are folded into compact form, so as to beout of the way of the occupant of the chair.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a convertiblechair, the combination of a high-chair seat, side frames for supportingthe same as a high chair, and an auxiliary or nursery-chair seat locatedbelow and approximately perpendicular to the high-chair seat, at anintermediate point thereof, whereby when the auxiliary or nursery-chairseat is in its operative position, the high-chair seat serves as a backtherefor, substantially as specified.

2. In a convertible chair, the combination of a high chair seat, sideframes for supporting the same as a high chair and having rounded frontedges to serve as rockers when said side frames are disposedhorizontally, and an auxiliary or nursery-chair seat located below thehigh-chair seat, and approximately perpendicular thereto, and at anintermediate point of the high-chair seat, whereby the high-chair seatforms a back for the nurserychair seat when the side frames aresupported upon their rocker edges, substantially as specified.

3. A convertible chair having side frames constructed at one edge toform rockers, high and nursery chair seats connecting said frames at anintermediate point, a seat-back and a foot-rest extending respectivelyfrom said seats to the opposite ends of the frames and arrangedcontiguous, respectively, to the opposite edges thereof, a grip-barconnecting said frames above said foot-rest, and a guard connecting theends of the frames contiguous to the outer edge of the foot-rest,substantially as specified.

et. A convertible chair having side frames constructed vat one edge toform rockers connected at an intermediate point by contiguous high-chairand nursery-chair seats disposed in angular relation to each other, thenursery-chair seat being arranged at a point between the planes of theopposite edges of the side frames, and the high-chair seat extendingbeyond the plane of the nursery-chair seat to a point contiguous to therocker edges of the side frames, and a high-chair foot-rest extendingfrom said nursery-chair seat approximately to the rocker edges of theside frames to complete a receptacle between the plane of thenursery-chair seat and the rocker edges of the side frames,substantiallyas specified.

5. A convertible chair having side frames connected at intermediatepoints by highchair and nursery-chair seats disposed in angularrelation, a seat-back and a foot-rest arranged in operative relation,respectively, with said seats, and adjustable legs or supports mountedupon the side frames and adapted to be extended when the device is in anupright position, substantially as specified.

6. A convertible chair having side frames connected at an intermediatepoint by highchair and nursery-chair seats disposed in angular relation,a seat-back and a foot-rest arranged in operative relation,respectively, with said seats, adjustable legs or supports pivotallymounted upon the side frames for extension when the device is in anupright po- ICO their members connected by stop-hinges, and guides forthe arms of the table or rest, carried by J[he side frames and providedwith terminal stops to limit the movements of said arms, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES VESTLEY DIGGS. AUGUST ROETTGER.

lVitnesses:

XVILLIAM PETTKER, ALFRED E. SMITH.

